1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographic photosensitive element and a method for forming an image using the same. More particularly, it relates to a photographic photosensitive element capable of being rapidly processed at high temperatures of at least 27.degree. C. without the formation of reticulation and to a method for forming images using the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In producing a photographic photosensitive element, a silver halide emulsion layer and other layers are coated on a support. To increase the coating rate, the coating temperature should be increased so that the coated photographic materials can be dried rapidly. At high temperature, however, where a known gelatin containing layer is provided as a protective layer, reticulation tends to be formed. Since the formation of reticulation is quite disadvantageous, a high-speed coating has been impossible even though high-speed coating is desirable in producing a photographic film and a printing paper.
An exposed black and white or color film or printing paper is generally processed at temperatures lower than 27.degree. C. High temperature processing increases the reaction rate of development of the silver halide, fixing, and color development, etc., and reduces the processing time. High temperature processing particularly reduces the cost of automatic developing processing. For these reasons, rapid processing of exposed photographic photosensitive elements has been desired for a long time. However, conventional films and printing papers having a protective layer comprising gelatin are damaged by high temperature processing solutions and this has been an obstacle to use of rapid processing of photographic photosensitive elements. For instance, conventional gelatin containing layers when processed at 49.5.degree. C. swell excessively and thus, reticulation is formed in the film.
As a countermeasure for this, a method in which a hardening agent is added to a processing solution can be employed. This method, however, has the defects that the process is complicated and very expensive, and furthermore, the photographic characteristics, particularly that of a color photographic material, are often adversely affected. Thus, inhibiting the formation of reticulation is necessary in producing a photographic photosensitive element, particularly of a multi-layer color element, using a high temperature and high-speed coating method and in applying a high temperature processing at temperatures of not less than about 27.degree. C. and the method employed to achieve the inhibition should not adversely affect the photographic characteristics. Such a method has been sought for a long time.
It has now been found that the formation of reticulation in processing conventional photographic films and printing papers at high temperatures is mainly due to the uppermost layer, e.g., a protective layer. As a result of further investigation, it has been found that the formation of reticulation can be controlled by adding copolymers as described hereinafter to the uppermost layer. Thus, the present invention is based on the above described discovery.